Part 1: The Jewish and Christian Context of Islamic Revelation

The Quran’s Biblical Connections

Emerging as a verbal recitation that includes stories about biblical prophets and history, the Quran assumes its original hearers knew biblical and extra-biblical stories (the stuff not included in canonical texts).

The Quran mentions Noah, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah, Ezekiel, Ezra, Job, Mary, Jesus, and the Apostles, not to mention Lot, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joachim, and more. Often these stories are similar in narrative structure, plot, and moral emphasis, though they often depart in terminology, rhyme, style, and content. The overlap is clear and helps students of Islam better understand where the Quran draws its material, how Muhammad could have known the stories (traditional Muslims firmly believe it was revealed as God’s word, of course), and the implications of interpretive retellings of them.

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